Twins Trade Josh Donaldson to Yankees in Blockbuster Deal

Neil Parker

Last Updated: March 14, 2022 4:45 AM EDT • 1 min 45 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 02: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Minnesota Twins runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. Ed Zurga/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Ed Zurga / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The New York Yankees acquired third baseman Josh Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela on Sunday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweeted.

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1503196768649068547

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1503197539033620486

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Donaldson spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Twins and had a bounce-back showing last year after playing just 28 games during an injury-plagued 2020 campaign. The 26-year-old third baseman hit 26 home runs with 72 RBI in 2021.

The three-time All-Star and 2015 American League MVP projects to hit near the middle of a strong New York lineup. Playing home games at Yankee Stadium should also prove to be a more favorable hitting environment than Target Field, so Donaldson’s a candidate to flirt with 30 home runs in 2022, and his home run prop total could present value when released as a result. DraftKings has Donaldson listed at +9000 to be the home run leader in 2022.

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Kiner-Falefa should start at shortstop, but his .699 OPS over the past two seasons leaves a lot to be desired offensively. It’s worth adding that the 26-year-old shortstop was dealt to Minnesota from the Texas Rangers on Saturday, March 10, so it’s been an eventful couple days for Hiawaiian.

Rortvedt only has 98 plate appearances in the majors, so he’s a bit of an unknown. However, the backstop was a second-round selection in the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft and should have an opportunity to see the bulk of starts behind the plate when the Yankees face a right-handed starting pitcher.

While there’s no denying the power potential catcher Gary Sanchez offers, he’s struggled to the tune of a .201 batting average, .299 on-base percentage and 28.1 strikeout percentage. The reported ban of defensive shifting could prove to be particularly beneficial for Sanchez, so his home run props could be also interesting to check on when it’s released.

Everything went wrong for Urshela in 2021, as he missed all kinds of time with various injuries, including going on the COVID-19 injured list twice. The 30-year-old will probably struggle to ever repeat his career-best showing in 2019 when he produced a .314/.355/.534 slash line.

The trade didn’t have a sizable impact on the World Series odds for either team. The Yankees were listed at +900 ahead of the deal at DraftKings Sportsbook, and their line didn’t move. Minnesota’s number did climb from +8000 to +9000 at DraftKings, though.Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.

Written By:
Neil Parker

A lifelong Cowboys, Cubs, Maple Leafs and Gators supporter, Neil has been covering sports in print and online since 2011. His past stops include USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook and RotoWire among others. He's a graduate of St. Thomas University and Acadia University and spends ample time at KenWo Golf Club.